When talking about worldwide benchmarks, people use the expression "global standard." A standard means a norm. A norm is a promise that spans the economy, industry, and technology. Technological advances can make "standards" necessary, but a single standard can also drive a leap of revolutionary scale. Based on a survey of experts from industry, academia, research, and the media, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards and ChosunBiz selected the "top 10 standards that changed the world" and the "top 10 standards that changed the lives and economy of Koreans," and reexamine the role of standards. [Editor's note]
It is no exaggeration to say that the history of humanity is a "history of compression." Distances that once took days on foot are traveled in a few hours by train and plane, and the contents of dozens of books are stored on PCs and smartphones and read in a matter of hours. Through these experiences of compressing time and space, humanity has moved on to the next generation.
As computers and digital cameras began to spread in the 1980s, it became important to figure out how to reduce the size of photo files. That was because photo files were too large relative to computer capacity at the time. In 1982, world-class experts who had studied image compression formed a group. The group name was "JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)." In 1992, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) adopted the image compression standard they created as an international standard.
When compressing images with JPEG, some of the image content is lost, but it is hardly distinguishable to the human eye. This technology is called "lossy compression." Thanks to this technology, file sizes can be reduced to less than one-tenth while minimizing image quality degradation. As a result, anyone can easily take and store photos and record and share everyday moments in real time.
Demand for video compression grew after images. In 1998, a technical experts group under ISO and IEC established MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group), a video and audio compression standard. By removing data that repeats over time, it made it possible to deliver high-quality video with small file sizes. The MPEG standard is applied to all video platforms today, including YouTube, online streaming services (OTT), and videoconferencing.
Most of the files we use these days are compressed by default. When you shoot video with a smartphone, it is usually saved as mp4, which is also a compressed file. Without compression technology, today's internet, YouTube, and Netflix might not have been possible.